DENNY’S: restaurants are giving members of its Real Breakfast Club an extra incentive to visit. Members this week received three coupons for free breakfast and lunch with the purchase of a meal. The promotion is a follow-up to the company’s nationwide Grand Slam breakfast giveaway following the Super Bowl this month.

BEST WESTERN: is giving members of its rewards program an incentive to book a stay. The hotel chain is offering double points, miles or credits to Best Western Rewards members who stay this spring. Guests must register for the promotion and stay at least two nights through April 5. In addition, the chain is out with a sweepstakes that offers the chance to win 1 million Best Western Rewards points, good for up to 125 free nights at more than 4,000 hotels worldwide.

AMERICAN EXPRESS: has added Carey International and Epson America to its Open savings program for small business owners. Members can now receive a 5% discount on Carey International’s chauffeur and luxury ground transportations services and on the purchase of Epson printers, projectors and scanners. The savings program claims to have saved participating business cardmembers $300 million in savings since 2004. Other partners currently include Federal Express, Delta Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Hyatt Hotels, Hertz, Barnes & Noble and StubHub.

THE INCENTIVE MARKETING ASSOCIATION: has partnered with the Loyalty Expo to expand its reach in the incentive marketplace. The IMA will be a sponsor of the 2009 Loyalty Expo, which will take place May 31 to June 2 in Hollywood, Florida at the Westin Diplomat. Information about the Loyalty Expo is available online.

T.G.I. FRIDAY’S: restaurants have added another incentive to boost membership of its Give Me More Stripes Program: a free snack bag of Cheddar and Bacon Potato Skins chips during lunch. The potato skins chips will be distributed to members between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. It’s the latest program perk following a members-only free food initiative this summer where people received complimentary chips and dip and hummus and chips. The program, which is free to join has more than 450,000 members since its launch in April (Promo, P&I, July 9, 2008).

BRODER BROS. CO.: a wholesale distributor of T-shirts, sport shirts, fleece and corporate apparel plans to launch a new Eco catalog in November to match the industry’s increasing demand and availability of eco-friendly products. Buyers can find organic and recycled styles in a variety of categories and price ranges. Brands that offer eco options through the firm include Rabbit Skins, Bella, Devon & Jones, Authentic Pigment, Yupoong, Liberty Gags, Columbia, American Apparel and Adams. The company is promoting the launch with an eco-friendly logo to its catalogs and has dedicated eco-product page on its Web site.

BLACK HAWK NETWORK: is partnering with Staples to bring its gift card mall into the office products company’s U.S. stores. Blackhawk Network’s gift card mall features more than 300 branded gift cards across a number of different categories including fashion, tickets, electronics, home and sports.

SEASTONE: a provider of specialty gift card packages and promotional programs has signed multiple licensing deals to utilize popular brands in its gift card packaging. Through its Give-A-Gift brand, Seastone will offer shoppers packages to personalize their gift card purchases, which now include Batman, Betty Boop, Marilyn Monroe, I Love Lucy, Superman, John Wayne, Wizard of Oz, Wonder Woman, Elvis Presley and the Beatles.

SMOOTHIE KING FRANCHISES, INC.: is distributing free coffee smoothies to customers on Sept. 18 to promote its new blends. People who visit participating locations before 10:30 a.m. that day will receive a free, 20-ounce blend of any of the chain’s new coffee or Mo’cuccino smoothies in caramel, mocha or vanilla. The incentive is part of The Smoothie King Morning Wakeup Event. A list of locations is available at www.smoothieking.com.

MALL NETWORKS: a provider of merchant-funded loyalty shopping solutions, has named Tom Beecher, as president and CEO. Beecher comes to Mall Networks from Imagitas, a Pitney Bowes Co., where he was president and CEO. Prior to that, he was with Fleet Financial Group. Mall Networks Founder David Andre will continue to have a full-time role with the company as chairman and chief customer officer. He will focus on best practices, product strategy, vision and new business development, the company said. The firm includes a network of more than 700 world-class online and bricks-and-mortar merchants and services more than 100 million members.

RYMAX MARKETING SERVICES, INC.: a national manufacturer’s representative in the incentive industry, is making the American Express gift card available for sales incentive, employee recognition and customer loyalty programs. The firm is among the first manufacturer’s rep in the industry to distribute the card. The gift card, which can be redeemed at U.S. retailers and restaurants that accept American Express, is available in denominations ranging from $50 to $200.

GIFTCERTIFICATES.COM: an e-commerce provider of gift products for consumer and corporate markets has appointed Gary Krow as CEO. Prior to joining the company, Krow worked eight years as president of Comdata leading the firm from a diesel fuel transactions processing company to an electronic payment processing company specializing in credit, debit and stored value. The firm’s portfolio includes the SuperCertificate, redeemable for gift cards from hundreds of merchants and specialty SuperCertificates, as well as gift and rewards cards from individual merchants, MasterCard and American Express.

ADVERTISING SPECIALTY INSTITUTE: has named Rob Spike vice president of distributor services. In his new role, Spike will provide business solutions for clients and assist his ASI account executives to advance professionally. He will continue to report to Dan O’Halloran, ASI’s vice president of distributor services.

MCDONALD’S: is tying in to the popular “Star Wars” franchise as part of its latest Happy Meal toy premium promotion running through Sept. 11. Based on the theatrical release of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” the fast food chain is offering one of 18 bobble-head toys with each kids meal purchase. Each package includes a code that unlocks a Jedi Quest Adventure in the virtual world at http://www.Happymeal.com. Creata Promotion and The Marketing Store designed and manufactured the toys, Arc Worldwide handled the merchandising elements. Online marketing, in-store signage and TV spots support the effort.

MAGENTIC ATTRACTIONS: has hired Christina Curran as a marketing specialist to help support customers seeking magnetic promotional products and other direct marketing materials. Curran started her career in the magnet industry began at a New Jersey-based company ,where she was in charge of marketing ferrite cores, bobbins and mounting hardware. The company was later acquired by Adams Magnetic Products Co., Inc., which promoted Curran to purchasing and sales management.

T.G.I. FRIDAY’S: is extending its members-only free food initiative as part of its Give Me More Stripes guest recognition program. The program, which had a soft launch in April, has more than 350,000 members (Promo P&I, July 9, 2009).
Under the incentive, members receive complimentary Friday’s Chips and Dip or hummus and Chips while supplies last. The program at http://www.givememorestripes.com offers a free appetizer upon sign-up, $8 of free food for every $100 spent and a one-time pass to skip to the front of the line for in-restaurant dining.

JEWEL-OSCO: is out with a new pharmacy loyalty program that offers customers a 10% discount with every five prescriptions filled using the company’s Preferred Card. The Prescription Plus program also gives customers special discounts on future grocery purchases.

SUPER 8: lodging chain is offering rooms for a nightly rate of $8.88—the charge for a one night’s stay in 1974 when the company first opened—to 800 people every day for eight days starting Aug. 8. The incentive will be offered until the room allocation is exhausted. The promotion caps off the chain’s yearlong “Celebrate the 8” campaign commemorating its 34^th anniversary.

MCDONALD’S: is out with its latest Happy Meal toy premiums, which play off Spay Gear gadgets. People who buy a Happy Meal or Mighty Kids Meal at participating restaurants through Aug. 14 will receive one of six premiums: a motion alarm, a disc defender, invisible message pen, a rear view spy scope or a mobile message bot. The promotion is timed to toy maker Wild Planet’ Entertainment’s 10^th anniversary building spay toys.

VISIBLE RESULTS: a global loyalty marketing firm has named Steve Marquis as director of business development in its U.S. office. Marquis will be responsible for driving the company’s business development strategy and execution; identifying new sales opportunities for the company’s loyalty marketing solutions in North America. He will report to George Stevens, Country Manager, Visible Results USA. He most recently worked as director of national accounts for Imagitas, a Pitney Bowes Company, where he was in charge of developing business opportunities with catalog retailers and multi-channel merchants.

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CHICK-FIL-A: is giving away free sandwiches to customers who visit its restaurants wearing any type of cow-related apparel on July 11, Cow Appreciation Day. People who come full decked out as a cow that day will receive a free combo meal. Visitors to www.CowAppreciationDay.com can find different ways to dress to receive a free sandwich or combo meal. One new idea each day leading up to the giveaway will be displayed on the homepage. Users can also download spots and a cow mask to use on the day of the event. Engauge Digital developed the campaign for Chick-fil-A.

STAPLES: has selected Parago Inc., a company that handles technology-driven promotion and incentive programs, to transition its Easy Rebates reward system from paper checks to network branded prepaid cards. The effort, which would apply to most rebates, follows a test launch in January. The prepaid card industry is projected to account for more than $236 billion in spending by 2009.

BEST WESTERN INTERNATIONAL: has named a Los Angeles man the winner of its Points for Free Video Contest. Joel Moss Levinson took home 1 million Best Western RewardsSM points for his creation dressing a water cooler in a stonewashed denim jacket and blond wig called Corey, and composing an original song about it. The contest, which launched in April, was part of the 20th anniversary of the hotel chain’s rewards program, Gold Crown Club International. It asked entrants to decorate their break room water cooler in the spirit of the 1980s and film a video explaining why it should win them a vacation (Promo P&I, May 14, 2008). Videos are available at http://www.bestwestern.com/celebrate20. The top prize is the equivalent of up to 100 hotel room nights at Best Western’s 4,000 properties worldwide.

JACK IN THE BOX: restaurants are giving away free tacos to people who show cashiers a gas receipt. The fast food chain will distribute two free tacos to customers with a gas receipt all day on June 26. The giveaway is designed to help ease the pain of high gas prices, the company said. Details are available at http://www.jackinthebox.com/twofreetacosday. The eatery operates more than 2,100 restaurants in 18 states.

RED PERKS: has launched a customizable gift card program for the corporate market. The cards, which can be used for corporate gifts, employee incentive or motivation programs, or to extend a company’s brand through their promotional programs are available in any denomination at http://www.redperks.com. Cardholders can choose from a selection of brands, including Helly/Hansen, The Sharper Image, Swiss Army, Swarovski, Patagonia, Tumi, and Nike, among others. The cards can be branded with a client’s corporate, and Individual redemption sites can also be developed.

More from the P&I newsletter

WENDY’S: is rolling out new Kids Meal premiums based on Screenlife, LLC’s Scene It? The DVD Game. Each meal will come with one of four mini Scene it? games based on the Scene It? Jr. Edition and Scene It? Nickelodeon edition. The games feature characters from “The Fairly Odd Parents,” “Danny Phantom,” and celebrities Shaquille O’Neal and Hillary Duff, among others. The premiums will be available through June 22 or while supplies last.

MCDONALD’S: restaurants in San Diego are offering $10 discount tickets to SeaWorld and a complimentary second visit to the site through June 23. For every coupon redeemed, a $2 donation will be made to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego. Coupons are available in all McDonald’s restaurants in San Diego County, Los Angeles, Bakersfield, CA and the Central Coast.

PROMOCARD SERVICES: has launched the Fitness Card, a new tool that supports health and wellness. Training programs, which feature instruction for total body, abs & core, hotel room, swiss ball, can be downloaded to a PC or a Mac and transferred to nearly any handheld device, including the iPod, Zune, Smart Phones and MP3 players that support MP4 video. The cards can be used for sales incentives, employee rewards, recognizing performance, customer retention, client thank you gifts and loyalty building programs.

MCDONALD’S: has rolled out its latest Happy Meal premium toys this time tied to Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ live action film, “Speed Racer.” The collection includes eight different toy action vehicles modeled after racecars in the film and eight Speed Racer-themed accessories.

BASKIN-ROBBINS: is rewarding expectant mothers with free ice cream in select locations on May 21. Moms-to-be who visit select shops on “Bump Day.” in California, Chicago, New York, Nashville, TN and El Paso, TX, will receive a 3 ounce cup or cone of the company’s new Soft Serve ice cream between 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. More than 1,000 locations will participate. To redeem the offer, people print out the offer at www.baskinrobbins.com/bumpday. The incentive is being promoted online on the company’s Web site, on Facebook, through blogs and traditional media.

PROMOCARD SERVICES: has named Dan Jellinek as director of business development. In this role, he will be responsible for heading up the company’s marketing department, managing the sales force and maintaining relationships with national accounts. Before that, Jellinek was executive vice president for Corplogoware. PromoCard Services creates digital media promotions for its clients and features a range of promotional cards using proprietary technology platforms.

UNO CHICAGO GRILL: is offering special incentives in its restaurants tied to Mother’s Day. Participating locations will distribute holiday coloring cards and crayons to young guests from May 6 to May 11. Visitors who complete their cards will receive a prize for a free kid’s meal on their visit. The cards can be taken home and given to mom on her special day. On May 11, Mother’s Day, Uno’s will take digital photos of families. People will receive their photograph with a few weeks of their visit, the company said.

BLIMPIE: is celebrating its 44th anniversary in Atlanta and North Georgia with a sub giveaway. People who visit participating locations May 2-4 and buy a 22-ounce drink will receive a free sub sandwich. More than 100 eateries will participate in the offer. A list of stores hosting the giveaway is available at http://www.Blimpie.com.

SPAFINDER.COM: has promoted Steve Kane to senior vice president, gift sales, a new post. Kane will continue to head all corporate and retail sales for SpaFinder gift certificates and gift cards. He also will continue to direct sales for the SpaFinder gift collections and other spa lifestyle products. Kane joined SpaFinder in March 2007, heading up the company’s gift program. Prior to that, he worked at Schifter + Partners, where he was in charge of launching high-profile fashion accessories brands (Lamb, Harajuku Lovers and Jill Stuart).

BORDERS: has launched its latest “Dream Rewards” contest with Disney Publishing Worldwide. Borders Rewards members with children who are six- to 11-years old can enter for a chance to create a new fairy for inclusion in an upcoming Disney Fairies book and win a five-day for four to the Walt Disney World Resort. To enter, children must draw their own original Disney Fairies character on Borders’ entry form and describe their new fairy in 50 words or less. Forms are available at www.BordersDreamRewards.com. The deadline is April 30. Some 25 million people belong to the retailer’s free loyalty program.

BASKIN ROBBINS: is launching its second annual 31 Cent Scoop Night celebration on April 30 from 5 to 10 p.m. in its 2,700 stores to thank customers for their patronage. During the event, 2.5-ounce ice cream scoops will be available for 31 cents. In addition, the company will also partner with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to donate $100,000 to the organization. At select locations, local fire departments will collect donations and scoop ice cream.

HSBC: is partnering with Loyalty Lab to provide loyalty and CRM programs to retailers, which will offer private label and co-branded credit cards through the HSBC. The agreement, announced last week, lets HSBC’s 70 merchant partners tap into Loyalty Lab’s offerings. Loyalty Lab is a loyalty program management, e-mail, campaign management and incentives company.

WALGREENS: is offering free refills on inject printer cartridges today at any of its more than 3,000 locations nationwide. The incentive lets customers try out the retailer’s printer cartridge refill service for free as it continues to rollout to 4,500 stores by yearend. People can bring in an empty black or color cartridge to Walgreens photo counters and have it filled for free. The offer excludes Canon and Epson ink tanks. Details are available at http://www.walgreens.com/ink.

BLOOMINGDALE’S: is rolling out a gift card with the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental organization. Ten percent of the proceeds from The Little Green Card and any amount spent over the original card value will be donated to the organization through April 22, Earth Day. In-store signage will promote the card, which is available in stores or online at http://www.Bloomingdales.com.

SUBWAY: is teaming up with 4Kids Entertainment to launch a new round of branded toy premiums with the purchase of its Fresh Fit Kids Meals. Through May 11, people who buy a kids meal one of two collectible “Yu-Gi-Oh” GX premiums based on the popular animated TV series, including the Yu-Gi-Oh GX Monster Spinning Top and Yu-Gi-Oh GX Monster Etching Plates. For girls, Subway is offering two different “Angelina Ballerina” premiums, an Angelina Ballerina Dancing Arabesque toy or an Angelina Ballerina Dancing Pirouette toy. In-store P-O-P and online marketing at http://www.subwaykids.com promote the offer.

TSYS LOYALTY: A provider of card-based rewards and loyalty marketing solutions, has named Rod Boyer as president. In his new role, Boyer is responsible for the firm’s loyalty enterprise, including client relations, operations, product development and implementation and sales and marketing. He will report to Allen Pettis, group executive, relationship management for TSYS. Prior to that, Boyer was chief operating officer of TSYS Acquiring Solutions, where he was handled the company’s operations, including operational efficiencies, strategy and compliance.

SIMON PROPERTY GROUP’S: Gift Card Program has received the distinction of Best in Category in the Retail Gift Card Program category at the 2008 Prepaid Card Expo in Las Vegas. The program, which launched in 2003, is one of the largest Visa bank-issued gift card program. More than 34 million cards have been sold. In 2007, the Simon Visa prepaid gift card program generated more than $500 million in sales. Gift card products are sold in 230 locations, as well as online. Last year, the program expanded to include Discover and American Express products.

PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS ASSOCATION INTERNATIONAL: has selected The Omnia Group, PPAI Travel and PPAL Fun Pass as authorized business partners for its Business Partner Program. Under the initiative, members save money while they grow their businesses. PPAI members will receive benefits including pre-employment hiring tests and consulting services from Omnia, good rates on travel services from PPAI Travel and discounted entertainment tickets from PPAI Fun Pass. Details are available at http://www.ppai.org.

WYNDHAM HOTELS AND RESORTS: guest recognition program members can earn TripRewards points toward free stays and retail merchandise. Benefits include a choice of welcome snack and beverage, preferred pillow type, high-speed Internet access, express check-in, guaranteed late check-out, local and long-distance calls, best available room upon arrival, photocopies, faxes and online receipts of their bill at no charge. New members of Wyndham ByRequest can register to earn double TripRewards points or miles at participating Wyndham hotels and resorts through May 15. Program membership is free. Details are available at http://www.wyndham.com.

4IMPRINT: has teamed up with 3M Corp. to launch a new promotional product, the 3M Post-it Flag Pen. The pen, available in black, silver, white and blue, comes with 50 blank Post-it Flags and a highlighter. The pens can be imprinted with a company name or logo. Other items are available at http://www.4imprint.com/exclusives.

PROMOCARD SERVICES: has launched a new pin-based incentives programs called the Hotel Card under which people receive cash for use on hotel bookings. The card, available in $25 and $50 denominations, can be used at more than 30,000 hotels. The Hotel Card is available for sales incentives, employee rewards, client thank you gifts, loyalty building, vacation book incentives, performance awards and customer retention programs.

BURGER KING: has teamed up with 4Kids Entertainment to launch a global partnership to develop kids’ meal premiums based on Monster Jam, a touring monster truck property. One of eight premiums targeting kids six to 12 will be available with any BK Kids Meal purchase through March 9 at participating restaurants. The toys include Grave Digger, Maximum Destruction, Avenger, Blue Thunder, Blacksmith, King Krunch, Bounty Hunter and Pastrana 199. In-restaurant signage, TV spots, online content and Burger King newsletters will support the promotion.

BEST WESTERN INTERNATIONAL: is rewarding members of its Speed Rewards program with the chance to earn double points or double miles when they stay two or more times at a Best Western property through April 6. Points can be redeemed for NASCAR–licensed merchandise, including wheeled coolers, die-cast cars and racing jackets. Details about the promotion are available at http://www.bestwestern.com/spring.

MCDONALD’S: is rolling out its latest Happy Meal premiums tied to the upcoming release of “The Spiderwick Chronicles.” People who buy a Happy Meal through March 13 will receive one of eight character toys, which light up, and a “Seeing Stone, which contains a holographic image. Various premiums contain voices from characters from the film. “The Spiderwick Chronicles” tells the tale of twin brothers Jared and Simon, their sister, Mallory, and their mother, who move away from the big city to a mansion owned by their uncle. When a series of strange happenings suggest that Jared may be causing a number of disturbances, the siblings band together to find out what is going on. Soon they discover the magical history of the land. The movie opened on Feb. 14.

BORDERS: is out with a new gift card to commemorate Black History Month in February. The card features a portion of the title of the song, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and raised hands and words from the actual song. The gift card can be loaded with denominations of $5 to $500 and is available in Borders, Waldenbooks and Borders Express stores nationwide and online at http://giftcards.borders.com/.

GIFTCERTIFICATES.COM: is running an online sweepstakes tied to Valentine’s Day offering the chance to win a $500 SpaFinder gift certificate or 10 $100 SuperCertificate gifts. People can register at http://www.GiftCertificates.com through Feb. 13. In a separate effort, the company is searching for memorable Valentine’s Day experiences to publish on its Web site. People who submit stories online will have a chance to win a $25 SuperCertificate gift. Online marketing supports the promotion.

PROMOCARD SERVICES: a pin-based promotions company, has launched an eco-friendly CornCard for card-based programs. The cards are produced with corn plastic, a substrate manufactured from corn. The material used to make the card is biodegradable and gives traditional credit, debit and loyalty cards the same look and feel of traditional plastic cards.

FRIENDLY’S ICE CREAM CORP.: has once again launched its annual Valentine’s Day fund-raiser for Easter Seals to benefit children and adults with disabilities. Through Feb. 14, people who make a $1 donation to Easter Seals will receive a Kids’ Valentine’s Day card redeemable for five free Kid ice cream cones. In-store signage supports the incentive. The company raised nearly $1.2 million last year for the cause, which it has supported since 1981.

DELTA AIR LINES: has added Chateaux & Hotels Collection to its SkyMiles loyalty program. Under it, members earn 500 miles for each visit booked through http://www.chateauxhotels.com/delta. The chain, which operates in France, Belgium, Italy and Spain, plans to add 20 Italian and Spanish establishments to the company. To kick off the partnership, the company and Delta are offering members 1,000 for every booking through April 9. Online marketing supports the offer.

COINSTAR E-PAYMENT SERVICES LIMITED: a subsidiary of Coinstar, Inc. has rolled out its gift card coin program in 730 Clinton Cards locations. The greeting card retailer will offer shoppers a wide assortment of gift cards to department stores, clothing, book, music, sporting and electronic brands. Clinton Cards sells greeting cards, plush merchandise and other items in the U.K.

THE NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION: is offering $40 coupons people can use toward the cost of a converter box to enable their analog TV to work when broadcasters switch to digital TV in 2009. Viewers who use “rabbit ears” or a rooftop antenna for free, over-the-air TV must buy a digital-to-analog converter for their TV to work after Feb. 19, 2009. People can request up to two coupons worth $40 each toward the purchase of converter boxes by calling 1-888-388-2009 or visiting http://www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon. Coupons will be offered on a first come, first served basis. The converters, which are expected to cost between $50 and $70, will be available early this year at stores and online retailers that sell televisions and electronics.

KLINKY INK.: is rolling out a new promotional product. The item, called Drinkeys, duals as a bottle opener and house key. Company logos can be added to the product. Drinkeys are being used as closing gifts, employee and member benefits, corporate branding items and for tradeshow premiums and will be available at http://www.Klinky.com starting Jan. 15.

PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL: is partnering with the Kids in Need Foundation, a group that provides free school supplies to students in need. The foundation is accepting items teachers can use to encourage kids and reward them. Needed items include filler paper, pencils, pens, crayons, marketers and glue. Novelty items, such as stickers, toys and games, can be used as incentives. The Kids in Need Foundation has provided $250 million worth of school supplies to impoverished children since its creation. Information about the program is available at http://www.PPAI.org.

BURGER KING: is distributing I-Dog toys as premiums in its Kids Meals. One of four different head bobber toys, including an I-Dog , I-Cat, I-Cy and I-Turtle, will be offered while supplies last.

DISCOVER FINANCIAL SERVICES: has put a new spin on gift cards with the launch of its eGift Card. The card is a prepaid, stored value card that can be used for purchases online or by phone in locations where company cards are accepted. People can send personalized e-mails alerting recipients of the gift. Egift Cards don’t expire, but are subject to similar fees of traditional gift cards. The cards are available at http://www.discovergiftcard.com.

7-ELEVEN, INC.: has teamed up with Nexon America to sell the Nexon Game card at its U.S. stores. The prepaid cards can be used to redeem virtual in-game items and accessories within the “MapleStory” “Audition” and “Kartrider” online games. The cards are available in denominations of $10 and $25. 7-Eleven and Nexon worked with Incomm, a technology firm that develops, markets and distributes stored valued gift and prepaid cards, on the deal.

CHEVRON: launched a holiday gift card program to benefit the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program. Customers who buy a $50 Chevron gift card at participating Chevron dealers can choose one of three toy Chevron cars to donate. Cards must be purchased by Dec. 31 to enable participation in the Toys for Tots program.

SUBWAY: has teamed up with InComm to offer gift cards at retail outlets. The cards are available in pre-set amounts at stores including Wal-Mart, CVS/pharmacy, Rite Aid, Barnes & Noble college bookstores, Long’s Drugs, Kerr Drug, H-E-B Grocery, Winn-Dixie, Hastings, Schnuck Markets and Brookshire Brothers in the U.S. In Canada, the cards are available at American Greetings, Glentel, Pharmacy 1 and Shoppers Drug Mart. In Subway locations, the gift cards can be loaded with amounts ranging from $5 to $100.

CARL’S JR. and Hardee’s restaurants are out with new kids’ meal premiums tied to upcoming CG-animated film “Igor” by The Weinstein Co. and Exodus Film Group. Each Cool Kids Combo meal will include one of four custom-designed “Igor” premium toys. In-store displays and online marketing support the promotion. The film is schedule for release on Oct. 24, 2008. More than 3,000 restaurants will participate in the promotion.

ADVERTISING SPECIALTY INSTITUTE: has upgraded its ESP Online software with new features for distributors. The tool now includes an event planner designed to help companies find the right products for clients who plan events. It includes educational videos, standard purchase orders, enhanced virtual samples, a decorator search and a client content manager. The software, which lets people search for products from more than 3,500 suppliers, will be updated monthly with additional features.

SIMON PROPERTY GROUP: is teaming up with the Boston Celtics to offer a gift card with residual benefits for charities benefiting Boston area youth. The Simon Boston Celtics Gift card, a Visa debit card, is available at company malls in New England in denominations from $20 to $500 with a $3 handling fee for each card bought. A portion of that fee will be split between two charities: the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation and the Simon Youth Foundation. The deal includes a three-year sponsorship agreement that gives Simon signage at the TD Banknorth Garden, on-court promotions and an online promotional component. Simon also has co-branded gift cards with the San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers.

TAUBMAN SHOPPING CENTERS: and SpaFinder are rewarding shoppers with free gift cards during the holiday shopping season. The first 100 people who buy $500 worth of Taubman mall gift cards in a single transaction on Nov. 24, will reecive a $100 SpaFinder gift certificate redeemable at nearly 4,000 spas nationwide. In all, 21 mall locations will participate in the promotion, the company said.

WENDY’S: is out with new Kids’ Meal premiums offering one of five “The Legend of Spyro: the Eternal Night” toys and a coupon with each meal. Toys are based on the new video game by Vivendi Games. They include the Sparx Flyer, Flapping Spyro, a Spyro Keychain, Spyro Checkers and Ruby Reveal. Each bag will feature a $5 coupon off the game redeemable at GameStop stores.

GIFTCERTIFICATES.COM: has teamed up with American Express Incentive Services to offer its Persona shopping card to customers on the http://www.giftcertificates.com Web site. The Persona card lets recipients select from more than 170 retail, travel and entertainment establishments for electronics, apparel, jewelry, gift, home and garden, sporting goods, toys, accommodations, cruises car rentals, vacation packages and luggage. GiftCertificates.com customers can also customized the card with their brand, logo campaign theme or messaging.

LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL: has launched an online rewards program, which gives people the chance to earn free Lexmark-branded inkjet cartridges for buying and returning the cartridges. Customers who buy five ink cartridges from http://www.Lexmarkstore.com within a 12-month period receive one ink cartridge for free. If they return five empty cartridges within that time, they will earn a second ink cartridge for free. Registration is available at http://www.lexmarkrewards.com.

BURGER KING: has teamed up with 4Kids Entertainment for its latest Kids Meal premiums promotion. The chain is offering collectible premiums based on the children’s property “Viva Piñata.” The Kids Meals will include one of the eight piñata characters tied to the show through Nov. 4. Each character features one of two surprise toys. Items include a branded fortune spinner or lenticular card for the Hudson Hortachio character; a 3D puzzle or flip book with Franklin Fizzlybear; sticker dispenser or kaleidoscope with Fergy Fudgehog; a party knocker or block puzzler with Mongo Macaraccoon Sour; a flying disc or kazoo with Ella Elephanilla; a foot sack or party light with Spalding Sparrowmint; a viewer or launcher with Gordon Goobaa and a maze craze or yo-yo with Cecil Cocoadile. TV spots, online content and in-restaurant signage will support the promotion.

LANDS’END: is out with a new spin on gift cards for Mother’s Day. The retailer is promoting the My Message Card, in which kids can personalize the cards with recorded messages. The voice feature is available for an extra $5. Gift cards are offered in denominations ranging from $5 to $500 at LandsEnd.com.

AMERICAN EXPRESS: has launched new special occasion gift cards: Especially for Dining (specials at participating restaurants nationwide, including California Pizza Kitchen and The Palm Restaurants), Especially for the Bride and Groom (special offers at Pier 1 Imports, Shutterfly, or Kosta Bodaand) Especially for Movie Lovers (offers at cinemas operated by Cinemark Theaters and Clearview Cinemas). The cards can be purchased at AmericanExpress.com/Gift and will be available later this year in supermarkets and drug store chains nationwide.

INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS GROUP: is offering members of its customer loyalty program, Priority Club Rewards, the chance to redeem their points for stays at any hotel, including competitor locations, via American Express-branded prepaid lodging cards. The cards, valued in denominations between $100 and $250, can be used as payment at more than 500,000 hotels worldwide.

DELTA AIR LINES: and ShareBuilder, an online brokerage firm, have teamed up to offer SkyMiles members a free iPod shuffle for investing online in a new ShareBuilder account. To qualify, members must open a new ShareBuilder account with a valid SkyMiles member number by Nov. 15 and committing a minimum of three consecutive months to the Standard or Advantage investing programs. SkyMiles members who join will earn an additional 2,000 miles; Medallion members will earn 3,500 miles.

SHOPPING PORTAL EBATES: San Francisco, has launched a Back-to-School Shopping Guide to help parents find bargains online. The guide has coupons and deals on computers, electronics, clothes, books, school supplies and dorm gear; it’s sponsored by Target, Barnes & Noble, Payless Shoe Source, Lillian Vernon, T.J.Maxx, HP Shopping and Sony. Coupons from JCPenney, Eddie Bauer, Adidas, Best Buy, Office Max.com and Staples also appear in the guide at Ebates.com. Any shopper can use the guide; registered Ebates members get up to 25% back on purchases made through the shopping portal.

NASCAR RACEPOINTS: the loyalty program that allows fans to earn points when they use products and services of official NASCAR sponsors, has added partners XM Satellite Radio, CENTRIX Financial and Home123 Corp. The three will award RacePoints to customers based on certain purchases.